


The Fools

by thesewarmstars



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Love Actually (2003)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-17
Updated: 2009-09-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1649126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesewarmstars/pseuds/thesewarmstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Alan Rickman Film and Ficlet Fest at <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/severussighs/">Severus Sighs</a>.</p><p><b>Movie:</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_actually#Harry.2C_Karen.2C_and_Mia">Love Actually</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fools

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to atypicalsnowman for beta-reading.

“Tell me – if you were in my position, what would you do?”

Harry shouldered into his outer robe as they weaved through the crowd making its way out of the banquet hall. “What position is that?” he asked.

“Imagine your lover bought a gold ring and, come Christmas, gave it to somebody else.”

Harry froze, still somehow hoping that Severus didn’t know, that everything wasn’t about to fall apart.

“Would you stay? Could you live with the knowledge?”

Harry wanted to scream, ‘Yes!’, tell Severus that he would never leave him, no matter what; anything to make him stay. But his voice had deserted him.

“A gold ring in your pocket,” Severus whispered. “You have no idea how happy I was.”

Harry felt like he was drowning, or on fire, or maybe just plain dying. “It wasn’t…” he croaked. “Severus.”

“What was it, then? Just a trinket? It was a _ring_ , Harry! Do you love her?”

He could feel his eyes stinging and blinked away moisture. Why did Severus have to bring this up on their way out of a Ministry dinner? “No. Well, yes. Not like that.” He shook his head. “It wasn’t that sort of ring.”

“But she loves you.”

“I know. I thought… I don’t know, I thought I owed her, or something. It was stupid. It was so, so stupid. I’ve been a fool.”

“Yes. But you’ve also made a fool out of me,” Severus said softly, not looking at Harry. “You’ve made our life together foolish, too.”

“No!” Harry protested. “Never foolish, not you. Not us.” His head was spinning, possibilities flashing through his mind. Would Severus leave him? Would he demand a separation, say he needed space? If he stayed, could he ever really forgive Harry?

And had he really thought Harry was planning to propose?

“Would you have said yes?” Harry murmured.

“Pardon?”

Harry shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not still in love with her?” Severus more said than asked.

“No. I’m in love with _you_.”

Severus stopped walking, and Harry realized they’d reached the Apparation point. His heart pounded in the sudden fear that Severus would leave, that this would be the end.

He saw Severus reach for his wand and asked, attempting casualness, “I’ll see you at home?” but he could hear the desperation bleed through.

For a long moment Severus just gave him a searching look, and Harry had to fight the urge to reach out for him. 

Then, with a crack, he disappeared.


End file.
